About the job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. Our Vision is to champion open and fair global trading that drives growth, creates better jobs and higher wages, and improves living standards in this country and around the world. The Department brings together policy and operational expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment in markets across the world.   

The Multilateral and WTO team leads on delivering UK trade policy in several high-profile areas in the multilateral fora including: the World Trade Organization (WTO), the G7 and the G20. We look to influence global trade rules, manage the UK’s relationship with bilateral trading partners and use the UK’s voice at the WTO to advocate for, and reform, the rules-based international system. 

This high-profile, stretching, and diverse role sits within the heart of the WTO team. As the successful candidate, you will be responsible for leading on the delivery of key WTO policy projects. This includes: supporting the delivery of UK objectives for WTO accessions, supporting with UK inputs for trade policy reviews, and resolving market access barriers at the WTO. You will be working on the UK’s presence at the WTO and developing UK policy approaches, strategic engagement and cross-cutting coordination across a variety of projects.  

All aspects of the role will require you to build strong professional networks and work closely with the UK Mission in Geneva, DBT Regional Teams, colleagues at Post, and policy teams across the Department and Whitehall. The role offers a challenging and rewarding opportunity for the right candidate to make a tangible impact and work directly on the UK’s priorities at the WTO.  The successful candidate will need to be flexible to work across WTO policy projects in line with business needs. 

Job description

• Develop and deliver UK trade policy and positions to the WTO. 
• Lead on the UK’s role on WTO Accessions including negotiations with prospective Members. 
• Lead and support a range of other WTO policy and delivery projects. 
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with colleagues within the Department and across Government – including the UK Mission Geneva and regional team leads. 
• Deliver UK multilateral trade policy objectives and present meetings, across Government and with senior officials. 
• Develop strategies and campaigns in line with WTO policy priorities and UK objectives for multilateral positioning, working to understand and influence trading partners around the world. 

Person specification

Essential criteria 

• Ability to deliver results and policy priorities in fast paced work scenarios 
• Be able to draw together evidence from a variety of sources to present robust advice on novel or complex policy issues. 
• Team player, able to lead, engage, influence, and build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. 
• Strong written, verbal, and presentational skills, with the ability to present complex issues clearly and succinctly to ministers and senior stakeholders across Government. 
• Strong planning, project management and organisation skills. 

Desirable criteria  

• Previous experience working on trade-related policy, in particular WTO accessions. 

Personal attributes & skills 

As the successful candidate, you will join an exciting, high-performing, and fast paced team working in a high-profile policy area.

The role requires a high level of organisational and problem-solving skills. You will be confident engaging with technical trade issues. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,858, Department for Business and Trade contributes £8,871 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

After the closing date It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:  

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 500 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Candidate Support

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview. 

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases. 
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. 
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you. 
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.    

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.